Stress? Ha!

When life is stressful, it helps to be playful. In a survey by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, about a third of the 898 participants scored high in characteristics associated with entertainment or amusement, such as clowning around and being spontaneous. Compared with the third of people more inclined to behave seriously, those who had high or medium playfulness scores perceived less stress and handled it better, according to study coauthors Cale D. Magnuson and Lynn A. Barnett. Everyone experienced a similar degree of life challenges, but the playful people were more likely to cope with stressful events by looking for something positive in them, responding with humor, seeking support from others, or engaging in a pleasurable activity to take their mind off their troubles.